Ex-fire recovery chief lauds Nixon contribution

The former president of the Jeeralang Hazelwood Bushfire Recovery Committee has praised the work of Christine Nixon in helping Gippsland communities since last year's fires.

Former committee president Tony Ferguson says the organisation has now been able to change its focus to more a community-based role.

He says the state's former police chief commissioner, Ms Nixon, played an important, professional role in the recovery process.

"Without VBRA [Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery Authority] and in particular Christine Nixon, who we had access to personally, helping us, we wouldn't have achieved what we've achieved," he said.

"We've been running for about 14 months and we believe our tasks are largely completed but without VBRA and Christine Nixon there we would have been going for another two years."

Ms Nixon has been under scrutiny in the Bushfire Royal Commission for not staying at the incident control centre on Black Saturday.